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Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Information Gathering Abilities
SamuraiWindu
Member
It looks like every archetype will have some sort of unique information gathering ability. The Mage archetype has Mage’s Detection (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Mage's_detection). The Ranger archetype has Track (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Track). The Tank archetype has Perception (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Perception). The Cleric archetype is described as being able to “sense the broken and corrupted.” (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Cleric) The Rogue archetype is purported to be able to discover hidden doors, traps, and additional treasures. (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Rogue) The developers have already stated that each class will have utility skills, so I think it is safe to assume that the Bard, Fighter, and Summoner archetypes will also have information gathering abilities.
This is a great way to ensure every archetype is useful in a party since lacking an archetype means that your party lacks critical information. It also encourages each player to actively participate in group discussions since each member has practical information that no other player has access to.
Since all we have at this time are vague descriptions of what each information gathering ability does, I would like to suggest how I think each ability might work.
Mage's Detection creates light that makes it easier for the entire party to see through darkness. It also reveals magical illusions, such as secret passages, hidden terrain, and explosive hazards. It would be interesting if the revealing of magical illusions only applies to the Mage, requiring the Mage player to call out what is revealed. It would also be interesting if the Summoner archetype can create some of the effects that the Mage can detect.
The Ranger’s Track ability reveals nearby tracks. Again, I think this knowledge should only be shown to the Ranger using Track. This could take the form of footprints that form whenever a creature takes a step. Footprints may be generally visible to any player (with high enough graphics settings), but these footprints would be highlighted to the Ranger using Track. This ability could additionally reveal interactive terrain features. The post “Elemental Environment Interactions” explores this idea further. https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/45938/elemental-environment-interactions
The Tank’s Perception ability detects threats within range of your perception. To me, this suggests that the Tank might see an icon next to creatures’ nameplates indicating the creatures’ general threat level in relation to the Tank compared to other party members, similar to how creatures’ nameplates degrade indicating their general health status. It would be interesting if this ability also makes creatures under the effects of stealth appear more defined to the Tank, allowing the Tank to fend off ambushes more easily.
The Cleric can “sense the broken and corrupted.” This suggests to me that the Cleric can sense nearby corrupted players. If this is the case, it would be different from a bounty hunter’s Pathfinding ability (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Pathfinding), which reveals corrupted player locations on the bounty hunter’s map. The Cleric’s detection ability might outline corrupted players in a red aura and function like a wall hack, outlining or coloring the silhouettes of corrupted players through terrain and walls. This ability might also reveal thematically evil NPC creatures, some of which may lie in ambush.
The Rogue’s ability to discover hidden doors, traps, and additional treasures might outline such features to the Rogue when the Rogue nears them. It could be that the Rogue is the only archetype that can interact with these features, and possibly only while this ability is active.
The Bard might have a lore themed ability that shows icons next to a targeted creature’s nameplate indicating what effects that creature is strong and weak against. This ability plays into the ideas explored in the last bullet point of the post “Illusion of a Living World”. https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/45827/illusion-of-a-living-world
The Fighter might have an ability that allows it to see an icon next to creatures’ nameplates that indicates the creature’s general mana status, similar to how creatures’ nameplates degrade indicating their general health status. This would allow the Fighter to more easily exploit momentary lapses in power during a fight. This ability might also reveal icons for status effects if status effects are not already displayed for all players.
The Summoner might have an ability that creates a flying sensor in the shape of an eye about the size of a character’s head. The eye would appear nearly invisible, similar to the effect of stealth, only to be revealed by the Mage’s Detection ability. The Summoner would be stationary and perceive the world through the eye while the eye is manifest. The eye would be controlled by the Summoner who created it, allowing the Summoner to fly the eye around and see the area from the eye’s perspective. The eye might have a limited duration and 1 hit point. Augments might increase the speed of the eye or its duration.
This is a great way to ensure every archetype is useful in a party since lacking an archetype means that your party lacks critical information. It also encourages each player to actively participate in group discussions since each member has practical information that no other player has access to.
Since all we have at this time are vague descriptions of what each information gathering ability does, I would like to suggest how I think each ability might work.
Mage's Detection creates light that makes it easier for the entire party to see through darkness. It also reveals magical illusions, such as secret passages, hidden terrain, and explosive hazards. It would be interesting if the revealing of magical illusions only applies to the Mage, requiring the Mage player to call out what is revealed. It would also be interesting if the Summoner archetype can create some of the effects that the Mage can detect.
The Ranger’s Track ability reveals nearby tracks. Again, I think this knowledge should only be shown to the Ranger using Track. This could take the form of footprints that form whenever a creature takes a step. Footprints may be generally visible to any player (with high enough graphics settings), but these footprints would be highlighted to the Ranger using Track. This ability could additionally reveal interactive terrain features. The post “Elemental Environment Interactions” explores this idea further. https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/45938/elemental-environment-interactions
The Tank’s Perception ability detects threats within range of your perception. To me, this suggests that the Tank might see an icon next to creatures’ nameplates indicating the creatures’ general threat level in relation to the Tank compared to other party members, similar to how creatures’ nameplates degrade indicating their general health status. It would be interesting if this ability also makes creatures under the effects of stealth appear more defined to the Tank, allowing the Tank to fend off ambushes more easily.
The Cleric can “sense the broken and corrupted.” This suggests to me that the Cleric can sense nearby corrupted players. If this is the case, it would be different from a bounty hunter’s Pathfinding ability (https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Pathfinding), which reveals corrupted player locations on the bounty hunter’s map. The Cleric’s detection ability might outline corrupted players in a red aura and function like a wall hack, outlining or coloring the silhouettes of corrupted players through terrain and walls. This ability might also reveal thematically evil NPC creatures, some of which may lie in ambush.
The Rogue’s ability to discover hidden doors, traps, and additional treasures might outline such features to the Rogue when the Rogue nears them. It could be that the Rogue is the only archetype that can interact with these features, and possibly only while this ability is active.
The Bard might have a lore themed ability that shows icons next to a targeted creature’s nameplate indicating what effects that creature is strong and weak against. This ability plays into the ideas explored in the last bullet point of the post “Illusion of a Living World”. https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/45827/illusion-of-a-living-world
The Fighter might have an ability that allows it to see an icon next to creatures’ nameplates that indicates the creature’s general mana status, similar to how creatures’ nameplates degrade indicating their general health status. This would allow the Fighter to more easily exploit momentary lapses in power during a fight. This ability might also reveal icons for status effects if status effects are not already displayed for all players.
The Summoner might have an ability that creates a flying sensor in the shape of an eye about the size of a character’s head. The eye would appear nearly invisible, similar to the effect of stealth, only to be revealed by the Mage’s Detection ability. The Summoner would be stationary and perceive the world through the eye while the eye is manifest. The eye would be controlled by the Summoner who created it, allowing the Summoner to fly the eye around and see the area from the eye’s perspective. The eye might have a limited duration and 1 hit point. Augments might increase the speed of the eye or its duration.
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